Find out how popular the last name Denkenberger is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Denkenberger.

Denkenberger, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Denkenberger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Denkenberger in America

Denkenberger is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Denkenberger surname appeared 112 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Denkenberger.

The history of the last name Denkenberger

The surname Denkenberger is of German origin, emerging in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, likely between the 14th and 16th centuries. It is derived from the German words "denken," meaning "to think," and "Berger," referring to a person from a specific place, often a hill or mountain. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a contemplative or scholarly individual residing in a mountainous region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, Germany. In the year 1492, a certain Hans Denkenberger is mentioned as a respected citizen and landowner. This entry provides evidence of the surname's existence during the late 15th century in southern Germany.

Interestingly, the Denkenberger name is also linked to the historic Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), a devastating conflict that ravaged much of Central Europe. A notable figure from this period was Johann Denkenberger (1592-1661), a German Protestant theologian and author who wrote extensively on the religious controversies of his time. His works, such as "De Conciliis Evangelicorum" (1648), offer valuable insights into the intellectual and theological debates that shaped the era.

Moving forward in history, the 18th century saw the rise of Johann Gottfried Denkenberger (1723-1789), a German jurist and legal scholar. His treatises on civil law and legal procedures were highly influential in the Holy Roman Empire and helped establish essential principles of modern jurisprudence.

In the realm of the arts, the name Denkenberger is associated with the talented portraitist and painter, Wilhelm Denkenberger (1805-1876). Born in Nuremberg, Germany, his exquisite portraits and landscapes captured the essence of the Biedermeier period and are now housed in prestigious museums across Europe.

Lastly, a notable figure from the 20th century was the German-American physicist and engineer, Hans Denkenberger (1914-2003). Born in Heidelberg, Germany, he made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II and later worked on aerospace projects for NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Denkenberger

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Denkenberger.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Denkenberger was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Denkenberger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Denkenberger, please contact us.

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